Wetlands System = Very exciting!

Hello All,
It has been a good week.

Bethany Kids:  they were able to get several loads of aggregate and sand up the hill (24 tons at a time) for doing cement work.  So, they have started cementing and should be "out of the ground" by the middle of July!  This is a big deal.  All of the structural work in the ground will be finished and they will begin to work on things above. 

structural retaining wall in the for ground with building understructure behind

 

The ENT Building:  This one is going along well.  They are starting on the walls and are only about 3 weeks behind schedule.  It should be complete sometime in Dec.  We don't really have a permanent ENT doctor right now, but they say, "If you build it, they will come!"

 



ENT coming along

 

 

Timothy got to go to the William Holden Wildlife Education Center in Nanyuki this week with the 6th grade class.  It was about an 8 hour drive on the bus from here.  It is a yearly event that RVA does with the 6th graders.  Timothy had a great time!  He says he learned so much.  His favorite part was seeing and learning about the oxidation pits for the sanitation system!  That's my boy!  He described them as a wet lands that had rock filter beds and plant beds that filtered the water so that when it came out the end works, it was clean enough to drink.  They did not drink it but the instructor told them that the tests have shown it was clean enough for drinking.  They got to see lots of animals and learn how to take care of the environment.  Over all, a very successful trip.

 

Bongo

Crown Crested Crane

Cheetah

Timothy's bed - Tidy!

 

 

RVA Woodshop:  My project is going well.  They were digging the foundation pits this week.  Our architect has been on holiday in Europe and will be back this week.  His substitute has done a great job but we will be glad that he is back. 

 

We have 2 weeks left and we fly home.  Jim is really ready (me too), but we are not physically ready yet for sure.  When is there time to figure out what we need to bring and get this place ready to leave for 6 weeks?  Sallie and I have exactly one day when we arrive to shop for clothes for our Chicago trip (2 days with friends to see the American Girl Doll place) and for camp for her for a week!  And, all this while jet lagged.  If the stores are open at 4 in the morning we will be there I am sure!  We have not bought anything new since last summer.  She has holes and dirt on everything and has outgrown just about everything else!  So, we went to kohls.com last night and got a few things.  It is very exciting to pick out some new clothes!  At least we will have a few things waiting for us when we arrive.  Mom T has given the job of "filing" the things that arrive in the mail from ebay and kohls, etc, in the closet to Dad.  I think we are working on closet number 2 now!  At least it keeps meeting the post man interesting.

Our friend Pastor Samuel lost his brother this week.  This was the man that Jim helped bring home from the hospital about a month ago.  The family is very sad and mourning right now.  Please pray for them as they grieve.

Here is a picture that we took last Sunday.  Do you know how hard it is to gather your family, dress them appropriately and get them to smile while they are doing it?  It is a very difficult thing to do!

 

 

Several people emailed this past week and it was wonderful hearing from them. Thanks so much!  Please pray for us as we hit the finish line, and mourn with Pastor Samuel this week.

 

In His Hands,

Jullie T.

 

There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
― Blaise Pascal, Pensees







A Day of Geeking = Heaven for some!

Hello All,
I am so excited about sitting to write this today because I only have one other thing going today and that is a play late tonight!  Just to have the time and write at my leisure is really something!

Here are some great pictures that a friend's daughter took while in the Mara.  It was with a Cannon Power shot.  I am thinking about getting one!

Banded Mongoose (or so you say mongeese?)

Starlings

Cheetah jumping off of a Jeep

Owl

 

 

We had a good week with projects. 

 

Bethany Kids:  They are still moving along well.  They have not brought up concrete material because we had some rain this week.  It makes the road very dangerous and impassable for big trucks when it rains.  The contractor is crying that it is costing them a lot more money to keep a tractor here to help pull the truck up the hill and they want the equivalent of $7,400 per month just to keep the tractor here to help out!  After laughing for a bit, we are now trying to negotiate that number!

 

RVA Woodshop:  We had our second site meeting this past week.  They have just about finished excavating for the ground floor slab and will be starting excavating for the footings soon.  Things are going well and they seem to be only a week or so behind at this point (4.5 weeks into the project and 1 week behind = Pretty Good compared to the Bethany project)!

 

Upendo Village (HIV/AIDS outreach in Naivasha):  We are still waiting on their US Board to give us a "go" on picking a contractor.  Once we decide who we want, we will meet with the contractor and negotiate and sign.  They want to start the project before the first week in July because Sister Florence is making a trip to Chicago.  She will be gone for about 6 weeks and she is really on top of everything about this new Admin building.  We are enjoying working with this ministry.

 

Jim was given a whole bunch of computer pieces and parts this week and was in heaven when he was here all by himself and spent the day geeking and putting things together!  We had a friend who is leaving this summer and had parts to give away.  He was able to restore one laptop that will be good to give to a Kenyan student.

 

 

We went to town (Nairobi) yesterday to look at some grass.  A strange thing to do, but a very informative trip. It was called Vetiver grass.  It is used in environmental agriculture to reduce erosion, manage waste pits, and stabilize soil.  It is a variety that does not have seeds, so does not propagate into surrounding areas.  It will make very strong hedge rows as the roots grown down about 2 meters (6 ft) or more!  We have some possible uses here for holding the soil in the surrounding areas because of the rampant deforestation and also possibly for our waste pits that still need to be done for the hospital sanitation system.

 

 

 

 

The other great thing about going to Nairobi without kids was that Jim and I had a nice lunch with some friends (all adults)!  It was a nice short get away, but the traffic was awful. 

 

Last night was the titchie talent show.  The kids get to perform what they want.  Some of the talents were walking on stilts, Rubiks cube completing, magic, flute playing, and singing.  Timothy and his friend Julia sang "Stronger" by Hillsong.  They did a great job! 

 

We also had our last Caring Community last night.  It is a time where we host some of the dorm kids and usually just eat and hang out.  I made Pizza and a trifle.  It was yummy!

 

 

This week, I was looking for a quote from Pascal.  A friend had told me this but I wanted to find it.  I could not find it but found several more that were very good.  The one I was looking for went something like, "We are not physical beings that happen to have a spiritual encounter.  We are spiritual beings that happen to have a physical encounter."  I love that!  Here is another one that I found while I was searching:

"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't". ― Blaise Pascal

We are studying the book of John in our bible study.  In John 6: around verses 40- the end.  John 6:44 is where Jesus is talking about "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...."  This is very difficult to comprehend.  Does God pick the ones to draw?  Are we all drawn but some just don't see?  Like Pascal says, "...there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't."  Something to ponder.

Three more weeks of school and the kids are done.  It is hard to keep a sense of seasons when school goes to the middle of July and it is cold!  July 4th will be a normal working day but we may have a BBQ and will be in hats and coats!  But, returning to Michigan will mark the start of a holiday for sure!  We are going to request waffles and sausage for breakfast on that first morning- Please Mom!

Thank you all for keeping up with us.  We love to hear how things are going with you too so emailing is perfectly acceptable! jimjulliet@AHC123.com

 

In His Hands,

Jullie T.

Sallie and Emily on the swing

 

 



 



How Many Hats can you wear?

Hello All,
Its good to be back!  Hope you enjoyed Jim's post last week.  I was away on Band Tour with the RVA Wind Ensemble.  We left Friday morning, performed 2 concerts a day for 3 days and were back on Sunday night.  It was a blast, but I was glad to sleep in my own bed on Sunday!  The kids were amazing.  The concerts just got better and better.  We performed for an elementary school, a university, 2 girl's high schools, 1 boy's high school and a church.  The boy's school was the one that made me a bit nervous though.  We were through and packed up a bit early and had about an hour to wait for dinner.  It had gotten dark and these boys were very excited to talk to the white and Asian girls!  Me and the other chaperones had to be the overseeing Mamas and make sure that each girl had at least one of our boys with her as they mingled.  The last concert was for a girl's school.  They were so much fun.  They were cheering and waving their hands in the air like they were at a rock concert and our kids really enjoyed that interaction.  Here are a "few" pictures from our week end

The boys being weird

The big bus (we had the big and the mini)

the last girl's school

some of the girls we talked to

Unloading the truck

At Nairobi Boys school

the boys school

mingling

Chris and the boys

at the Church Unloading

at the elementary school - the kids wanted autographs!

More autographs

at the elementary

Unloading at the church

at one of the girls schools

Steve Taylor directing

Making Breakfast

mingling at the girls school

 

Jim had a good week at the Bethany Kids Wing.  The contractor is actually doing the best they have since they started since the mudslides about 5 weeks ago.  They are still having issues here and there but things are going well.

 

The RVA woodshop is coming along OK.  They have started excavating in earnest.  We have had to move 2 water lines and a power line, but that is normal.  I will have pictures a bit later.

Trevor was in a play this week end!  They are putting on Arsenic and Old Lace.  I am going up in about an hour to see it myself.  Jim went last night with the kids.  He said they did a wonderful job.  Can't wait. 

Trevor plays a police officer

 

I feel like I am wearing at least 4 hats right now! 

1. Mom (most important)

2. Sponsor for the class (making 3000 donuts this week end and band tour last week end)

3. RVA Woodshop Project Manager

4. Kijabe Hospital Engineering and Facilities Project Planner.

 

This last one will be coming to a close as I finish up a few projects.  But, Jim and I are both ready for a break.  We have 4 weeks left till be get home, but that doesn't mean we will have a rest!  It will be a change in the craziness and it will be welcomed! 

 

Sallie had a "Cookie Party" this week at school.  One of the missionaries invites about 7 3rd grade girls to eat their packed lunches at their house and receive cookies to take home!  As we were eating lunch together and talking, one of the girls said, "this is a Happy Day!"  It was so cute and so true!

 

Sallie was so excited to get some bunnies this week.  She arranged it all on her own and got a friend to build a little hutch for them.

 

Inky and Bun Bun

 

Timothy had his first Rugby game this week.  He really enjoyed it.  I am going to have to look up the rules to that game though!  It seems rather odd!

 

the scrum (Timothy in Yellow)

 

 

 

Timothy in the middle in the yellow shirt and plaid shorts

 

Great Tackle!

 

 

 

Hope you all have a wonderful week.  Please pray for us as we finish the last 4 week, and push to the end (us and the kids for school).  For all of our Michigan friends, we hope we get to see you when we are home!

 

In His Hands,

Jullie T

 

Here are some pictures that a friend took in the Masai Mara